Hubert Aiwanger, Bavaria Deputy Premier and Free Voters Leader, Found Dead in Berlin Hotel at 55

Hubert Aiwanger, the deputy minister president of Bavaria and the leader of the Free Voters party, was found dead in a Berlin hotel on Wednesday. He was 55.

Bild reported on Wednesday evening that Aiwanger, who was also Bavaria's minister for economic affairs, regional development and energy, was found in his hotel room in Berlin. The newspaper said the death was confirmed by the Bavarian state government and by the Berlin police. Die Welt, DW and tagesschau carried the same news, and Reuters reported on Wednesday night that Aiwanger had died suddenly, citing the head of the Bavarian state government.

Bavarian minister president Markus Soeder wrote on X: "The sudden death of Hubert Aiwanger is a terrible tragedy. We are all deeply shocked," Reuters reported.

The Free Voters general secretary, Susann Enders, confirmed Aiwanger's death, according to ZDF. ZDF reported that the Berlin public prosecutor's office confirmed that his body was found in a Berlin hotel, and that the criminal police are investigating, as is routine when a person is found dead in unexplained circumstances. Reuters reported there was no immediate comment from Berlin police or prosecutors and no word on the cause of death.

A missed party opening in Berlin

Aiwanger was in Berlin for the opening of the Free Voters' new party office in the capital, which was scheduled for Wednesday. He did not appear at the event. Reports citing party and government sources said he had cancelled his appearance for health reasons and was later found unresponsive in his room.

Bild named the hotel, tentatively, as the Hotel Neuer Fritz, near the Spree river and Friedrichstrasse in Berlin-Mitte. That detail has not been officially confirmed. Preliminary reports citing police and government contacts said there were no immediate signs of foul play, and that an autopsy and police inquiries were under way. His family has been notified. He leaves his long term partner, Tanja Schweiger, and two sons.

Eight years as Bavaria's deputy premier

Aiwanger had led the Free Voters in Bavaria since 2006 and the federal party since 2010. He served in the Bavarian cabinet from November 12, 2018, as deputy to Minister President Markus Soeder of the Christian Social Union. The Free Voters are the junior partner in Bavaria's CSU led coalition government, and Aiwanger held the economics, regional development and energy portfolio for the whole of that period.

A farmer and agricultural engineer from Lower Bavaria, Aiwanger built the Free Voters from a local government movement into a party of state government, first in Bavaria and then in coalition in other states. His sudden death leaves the party without its leader and Bavaria without its deputy premier and economics minister, and the party and the state government now have to fill both posts.

No successor has been named. The Orbit Post will update this report when the Bavarian state government or the Free Voters confirm the next steps, and when officials release a cause of death.